756 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



and the Indian uprising, and that he should take steps to defend the 

 country, for it was all up in arms and the Indians haughty and insolent. 



Chapter XIX 



How After the Burning of the Tucapel Fort, Caupolican Held a 

 Council of His Followers To Discuss What They Should Do ; and 

 Other Episodes in the Life of Gov. Pedro de Valdivia. 



2000. Caupolican was a shrewd and courageous captain among 

 the Indians ; for his valor in war they all recognized him as their 

 commander. He had started their rebellion with the burning of the 

 Tucapel fort and the massacre of the Spaniards there and other 

 insolent deeds. He summoned a council, with the approval of their 

 most valiant captains — Tucapel, Rengo, Talgueno, Leucoton, Engol, 

 Lepomande, Gracolano, [Cocololo] Colocolo, Guaticol, and other 

 captains and old and experienced warriors ; he discussed with them 

 what should be done to shake off their burdensome and oppressive 

 servitude to the foreigners, and to kill them all. Then they assembled 

 from the States of Arauco, Tucapel, Paylataro, Lincoya, Pilmayquen, 

 Quiapo, Lebu, Millarapue, and other provinces over 13,000 picked 

 Indian warriors, besides many others whom they sent out in every 

 direction to rouse and distract the Christians with their insolent deeds 

 and follow them up to catch them isolated and thus more safely 

 defeat and kill them. Meanwhile Caupolican with the bulk of the 

 army took position in ambush near Tucapel, where the trouble had 

 begun, for he felt certain the Governor would repair there with the 

 few men he had ; he could then defeat him and terminate the war, 

 and they could rest peacefully in their own land. 



2001. At this time Gov. Pedro de Valdivia was at La Concepcion. 

 When he got news of what had happened at Tucapel, he set out with 

 little foresight and greater haste than was wise, to remedy the wrong 

 and chastise the Indians. Some say that he had 53 cavalry soldiers 

 and a few servants, plus 14 more whom he ordered to join him from 

 the Puren fort ; others say he had 1 50 soldiers. On the way he visited 

 his mines at Quilacoya, crossed the large Rio de Biobio at Talca- 

 mavida, stopped at the Arauco fort and picked up some Spaniards 

 there, the total number coming to 150. But although Capt. Diego 

 Maldonado, who was badly wounded, repeatedly warned and begged 

 him, on the basis of what he had seen, not to press onward with such 

 a small troop and his forces divided, until he had got them all together 

 for a final victorious battle, for on that victory depended the King- 

 dom's peace and tranquillity, the Governor would not listen to the 



